US gun violence data
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By NRA-ILA

Politicians treat so-called “gun violence” as a lever issue, hoping to energize their base and guilt law-abiding Americans into supporting policies that would have no effect on crime or help the mentally ill.

Part of this effort entails presenting as large a number of fatalities as possible, and so researchers, the media, and anti-gun politicians combine suicide, homicide, accidents, legal interventions, and incidents in which the intent is unknown.

They’ve chosen to sensationalize tragedies time and again to advance an anti-freedom agenda. The media misrepresents old data by using current-tense headlines. Anti-gun organizations the Brady Campaign and Moms Demand Action politicized memorial services held the day after a shooting when the community wanted a chance to mourn properly.

Anti-gun politicians ignore pre-existing trend data if it means they can claim gun control works – no matter how many caveats are included in the underlying analysis.

What does “gun violence” really look like? CDC non-fatal injury data is not reliable, but fatality statistics are accurate. The most recent data available is for 2017; there were 39,772 total firearms-related fatalities. Sixty percent were suicides. Thirty-seven percent were homicides, which is a rate of 4.5 fatalities per 100,000 people.

The rate held steady between 2016 and 2017, but it has increased slightly since the start of the decade. However, the 2017 rate is 34% lower than it was in 1980 and 36% lower than in 1993.

In other words, the firearms-related homicide rate dropped by 36% in the last 25 years for which we have data. Rates don’t tell the whole story; the total population grew by more than 99 million people from 1980 to 2017 and the number of firearms-related homicides decreased by 958.

Let’s look at the specific wording used in a recent article supporting gun control. “In 2017, the United States had the highest rate of firearm fatalities since 1996.” This statement is specifically crafted to make a dramatic point. The rate of all firearms-related fatalities in 1996 was lower than it was in the previous 15 years, and the rate was lower every year from 1997 through 2016. The data tell a clear story, even in the presence of a recent and moderate increase. Perhaps more importantly, the data shows that suicide is increasing as a percentage of all firearms-related fatalities.

Not all charts are as clear. Some seem designed to support a certain perspective rather than to present data without bias. Doctor Eric Fleegler, affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, recently published the above-referenced article titled, “Mass Shootings and the Numbing of America” in JAMA Internal Medicine. He presented firearms-related fatalities by age group and intent. The bars represent the percentage of all fatalities within that age group that involve firearms.

This representation is technically correct, but it suggests at first look that there are more firearms-related fatalities among younger people, specifically those within the 15-19-year-old and 20-24-year-old age groups.

The chart really indicates what is not shown: that younger people face fewer potentially fatal injuries and health complications than older generations. In other words, younger age cohorts are generally healthier than older people, some of whom unfortunately pass away due to falls, to heart disease, cancer, or any number of other issues that are not common among teenagers and young adults.

This commentary is not designed to trivialize any deaths, but efforts to address firearms-related fatalities should be targeted and the data needs to be considered sincerely. Unfortunately, we too often see the presentation of data sensationalized to make a point. But, that’s the shell game that anti-gun activists and politicians want to play.

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81 COMMENTS

  1. Meanwhile cancers directly attributable to obesity killed 40,000 in 2016. Add in heart issues and everything else that being significantly overweight causes and you get about 300,000.

    Add all “gun deaths” and the “opioid epidemic” together and you don’t even get to half of what being fat does.

    Suicide by McD’s is a way bigger problem, but we can’t touch that because “fat shaming” is the new way to normalize unhealthy behavior.

      • 200k is a very conservative number. But medial care becomes legendary safe when it comes to vaccines. Pharmaceutical Wizards and Priests magically convert the injected carcinogens, neuro-toxins, foreign animal and aborted human baby DNA into a safe magic serum for children.

      • LOL. Well, he’s a God. Fat and drunk but still a God. With a badass hammer to boot.

        Nice reference there. Apparently that pissed off a lot of people, as my comments on obesity (and everything else) are wont to do

    • I doubt you actually want government agencies and/or the other progressive powers-that-be to “touch” the obesity problem. Seems like a red herring to me.

      • I’m not talking about government intervention. I’m talking about the fact that the same people crying about “gun violence” are ignoring the problems of obesity (which is just a singular example) which is evidence that they don’t actually care about what they claim to care about but are merely out for political gain.

        On the one hand they want government intervention to disallow you access to handguns but if you, as a private citizen, even say “Wow, that person is really overweight. That’s not healthy.” the same Lefties that love gun control will scream that you’re “fat shaming” with your 1A rights.

        If they actually gave a fuck about “one life” as they claim to they’d be advocating that something be done about obesity which kills 9x or more people each year as compared to “gun violence”. The fact that they’re not saying word-fucking-one about fatties, other than to defend the feelz of those overweight people, proves that they don’t really give a damn about people dying.

        The same assholes who blather about the monetary “costs” of “gun violence” to the medical system won’t say a damn thing about fat people wracking up nearly unimaginable Medicare bills due to their obesity and it’s complications.

        That’s the point.

        My opinion on fat people and how they should be “dealt with” is, at most PSAs like we had/have with smoking because most people really don’t have any clue what they’re eating or what a serving actually is so maybe we should treat that like HomeEc and educate people how to read a food label, cook for themselves and balance a checkbook (or bank account since checks are becoming rare these days). Sort of the way we had to tell people that yes, there is a link between heavy tobacco use and cancer.

        Overall I’d really prefer that we just have a serious social stigma against being morbidly obese the same way I’d prefer that parents and churches handle the “moral crisis gripping today’s youth” (and I say that as an atheist). But we can’t do that. Oh, no, we can vilify a gun owner as a murderer in waiting. A buck-toothed-redneck-sister-fucker who cares naught about the safety of children… but that guy who is literally waiting for a coronary episode, well, we can’t say shit because his feelz might get hurt. Well, I bet the heart attack hurts more and costs a boatload more too.

        It’s not a call for government intervention. It’s calling out the hypocrisy of those who claim to “care” about other people when all they care about is more power for themselves.

        • This forum is rife with hypocrisy. How many gun owners scream for the preservation of individual rights….until vaccines. Then suddenly the government is altruistic, Not corrupt, and all knowing. Can’t make this shit up.

        • Would reply directly to Pg2 but no reply link?

          Short answer, I agree, required vaccinations are a violation of your rights. That’s not to say they aren’t overall ‘good’ but the individual should be allowed to make the decision. I feel it’s they who take the risk, as it should be…you are vaccinated, why do you care?

        • When it comes to being fat my body, my choice 😉

          I’m just joking. I couldn’t resist.

          To you guys talking about vaccines, lewrockwell.com has had a ton of articles on the issues with vaccines over the last few motnhs. Some of them are

          The only measles vaccine now available in the US is the one in the MMR. It is not available as a standalone vaccine.

          Only one drug company makes it in the US. It is a government protected monopoly.

          The measles virus in the vaccine is improperly weakened so newly vaccinated kids actually are contagious and spreading measles even though they aren’t sick.

          Measles is rarely dangerous as long as the fever is controlled and once someone has measles they are immune for life.

          Immigrants from the 3rd world are bringing in different strains of measles than we are used to and the US measles vaccine does not protect against them.

          Measles vaccine immunity only lasts for a year or two. Kids who were vaccinated can get the measles from their classmates who were vaccinated recently.

          Vaccines are begun at a much younger age today than when most of us were children, and many more vaccines are administered on a faster schedule than we received.

          The link between vaccines and autism seems to be a high fever the kid gets after being vaccinated.

          The majority of anti vaxxer parents are on their second or subsequent kid. They got the previous kid(s) vaccinated and have suffered through a vaccine issue.

          The government won’t allow you to sue the vaccine producers. The government has a fund from which it pays out damages to cases that it deems legitimate. Of course most claims are denied, but the government has paid out billions over the years to cases it considers legitimate. It will not publish information about those cases.

        • “The link between vaccines and autism seems to be a high fever the kid gets after being vaccinated.”

          Hey Crimson Pirate – next time could you just put this tid-bit right at the TOP of your comment? If the rest of us knew right off the bat that we could completely discount any opinion you hold, it’d save us a lot of time reading the rest of your screed. Thanks bud!

        • “Hey Crimson Pirate – next time could you just put this tid-bit right at the TOP of your comment? If the rest of us knew right off the bat that we could completely discount any opinion you hold, it’d save us a lot of time reading the rest of your screed. Thanks bud!”

          No.
          I had hoped people would visit the website, read the articles, follow the links to the many studies and become educated. I guess I was hoping for too much. It ain’t rocket science.

        • Crimson,

          I HAVE been to Lew Rockwell’s site. Dude is a reasonably sharp guy and I give a fair bit of weight to his opinions on economics, politics, Libertarian/AnCap philosophy, etc. He is, however, notably NOT a medical doctor, biochemist, biologist, inorganic chemist, biomedical engineer, health-researcher or really has ANY background or ANY training in ANY kind of empirical science, much less anything remotely related to medicine and biology. So no, I haven’t read any of his opinions on the causes of autism and the effect of vaccination on prevalence in a population. On the other hand, I HAVE read dozens of research papers, literature reviews and survey papers on the topic of autism and vaccines. And strangely, the ENTIRETY of the scientific community is in agreement on a few things: there are no non-confounded data that indicate any causative link between autism and childhood vaccinations; there ARE confirmed health risks with any vaccine, but they are known, detectable, treatable or so rare as to be insignificant.

          If you can point to ANY valid scientific data from a legitimate source that demonstrates a causal link between autism and childhood vaccination I would be very interested to read it. But since such a thing does not exist, I suspect I’ll be waiting awhile. And just to head you off at the pass, read the sentence above carefully. An article form a wellness blog is NOT valid scientific data from a legitimate source. A research paper from an anti-vaccine advocacy group is NOT valid scientific data from a legitimate source. A research paper from a legit medical research facility that shows an increase in some chemical markers associated with some cases of autism, when a simple organism is exposed in a petri dish to high doses of one preservative that is included in some vaccines does NOT demonstrate a causal link between autism and childhood vaccination.

          I’ve said my piece, and when someone’s opinion and position is informed not by the objective, verifiable facts of reality but rather by it’s agreement with previously-held beliefs or some emotional attachment to a belief (i.e. “faith”) no amount of debate, conversation, facts, etc will sway it. So if you can come up with some actual facts to continue the conversation (ie a paper like mentioned above) I’d be happy to discuss what it says with you. But if you just want to continue the debate without agreeing to stick to facts and scientific data, there’s no point in wasting our time. Thanks for the conversation, have a great day.

        • The articles on the site are not written by Lew Rockwell. They are written by others. He prints or reprints them with permission. They cite their sources and provide plenty of links to the studies they reference. Hence why I directed people to the site to find the various articles and follow the links to the many studies that cover the many issues with vaccines. I am not asking anyone to take my word for it. Go and check it out for yourself.

          “the ENTIRETY of the scientific community is in agreement on a few things: ”

          Yeah, sure. They say the same thing about anthropomorphic global warming and it isn’t true there either. Anytime anyone says the entirety of the scientific community agrees on anything they are wrong.

        • @Rocket We have Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, pediatric neurologist and former government medical expert medical witness who testified under oath that vaccines are causing autism. Dr. Zimmerman even described the mechanism. He is also accusing the US DOJ of misrepresenting his positions and statements. CDC researcher, Dr. William Thompson, has stated both he and CDC committed fraud and hid and destroyed data showing a link with the MMR vaccine and autism. And don’t forget Hannah Polling, where the court awarded her neurologist father an undisclosed amount because they ruled her vaccines caused her…..autism. There are 100’s of thousands of parents reporting regression of their children into autism immediately following vaccinations. There is a growing number of animal/biological studies showing links to vaccines and their ingredients to autism. What we don’t have is a single childhood vaccine safety trial using an inert placebo, not one. There is no study that exists that disputes what these top scientists are saying, 100’s of thousands of parents are saying, what a growing body of animal research is saying…vaccines cause autism.

        • @rocket “there ARE confirmed health risks with any vaccine, but they are known, detectable, treatable or so rare as to be insignificant” 100% fictional statement. But nice try. Always amusing when a person who is grossly ignorant about a subject accuses someone else of being so.

        • @rocket “I HAVE read dozens of research papers, literature reviews and survey papers on the topic of autism and vaccines. And strangely, the ENTIRETY of the scientific community is in agreement on a few things: there are no non-confounded data that indicate any causative link between autism and childhood vaccinations” Another gem from a poster who clueless but pretending to be knowledgeable about a subject. You’re either lying or an idiot, no where near “the ENTIRETY” of the scientific community is on agreement on this. Using caps on a bullshit statement highlights the strategy of the person using it…that it will somehow seem true even when it isn’t. Which of the “dozens of research papers” you’ve allegedly read led to you to believe there is no causative link behind autism and childhood vaccines? Humor me. Prove you’re not a liar and/or an idiot.

        • Crickets from Rocket….surprise, surprise. Trolls who use ALL CAPS to bluff/emphasize false points are a dime a dozen. Good riddance.

      • We could have eliminated cirrhosis, both alcohol related and not, if the FDA and ATF didn’t stop it. The medication to cure cirrhosis was dropped in late stage development, like 50% of potential new medications, due to the cost of compliance with FDA regulations. Beer and liquor manufacturers wanted to add it to alcohol decades ago and ATF said “NO!”

        Government is evil.

  2. Everything has it’s time and everything dies.

    From “In Memoriam; Alfred Lord Tennyson”

    ” LV.

    The wish, that of the living whole
    No life may fail beyond the grave,
    Derives it not from what we have
    The likest God within the soul?

    Are God and Nature then at strife,
    That Nature lends such evil dreams?
    So careful of the type she seems,
    So careless of the single life;

    That I, considering everywhere
    Her secret meaning in her deeds,
    And finding that of fifty seeds
    She often brings but one to bear,

    I falter where I firmly trod,
    And falling with my weight of cares
    Upon the great world’s altar-stairs
    That slope thro’ darkness up to God,

    I stretch lame hands of faith, and grope,
    And gather dust and chaff, and call
    To what I feel is Lord of all,
    And faintly trust the larger hope.

    LVI.

    ‘So careful of the type?’ but no.
    From scarped cliff and quarried stone
    She cries, ‘A thousand types are gone:
    I care for nothing, all shall go.

    ‘Thou makest thine appeal to me:
    I bring to life, I bring to death:
    The spirit does but mean the breath:
    I know no more.’ And he, shall he,

    Man, her last work, who seem’d so fair,
    Such splendid purpose in his eyes,
    Who roll’d the psalm to wintry skies,
    Who built him fanes of fruitless prayer,

    Who trusted God was love indeed
    And love Creation’s final law–
    Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw
    With ravine, shriek’d against his creed–

    Who loved, who suffer’d countless ills,
    Who battled for the True, the Just,
    Be blown about the desert dust,
    Or seal’d within the iron hills?

    No more? A monster then, a dream,
    A discord. Dragons of the prime,
    That tare each other in their slime,
    Were mellow music match’d with him.

    O life as futile, then, as frail!
    O for thy voice to soothe and bless!
    What hope of answer, or redress?
    Behind the veil, behind the veil. “

  3. Wow, way to tiptoe around the issue. But I’m not afraid to speak the truth, so I’ll say it—-

    ahem—-

    GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA IS A BLACK ISSUE.

    13 percent of the population commits 51 percent of the murders. If black males are removed from the equation, America’s murder rate drops BY 51 PERCENT.

    • More specifically, I think it’s an inner-city/gang issue. Correlation doesn’t equal causation. How do we solve it? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure more gun control won’t help.

    • Since you’re not afraid to speak the truth, oh balls of brass, what’s your Final Solution to the problem?

      • Give ’em more guns and ammo. Keep ’em contained in “their” (gang turf) area. Add more illegals to the mix and shake.

        • Their more sporting to shute at would be my guess? Nobody likes a pen raised human that just lays there.

        • Jwm, who hates who? You’re trying to put words into my post that aren’t there….I was making a joke at your stupidity. Guess it went over your head, surprise, surprise.

      • Aww, invoking Godwin’s Law so soon? What’s wrong with you? The unassailable truth is gun violence, and violent crime in general, is a black issue in America(and Mexican/Central and South American Amerind and Mestizo, to a lesser degree). Yet you go for the cheap shot?

        Not very mature of you. Not at all.

        But the truth is what I wrote. Shame you can’t process it.

        • jean claude, you argue exactly as the gun control group does. With the same level of honesty and integrity as they have. We follow your line and we must believe adam lanza is a typical ar15 owner.

          I worked in a state prison. I saw white inmates, including child molesters and killers in there along with non white.

          And in my youth I lived in an all white community. Our jails were always occupied. You the type that doesn’t care about the crime, just the color of the person committing it.

        • No jwm, you’re projecting. You’re the fool who posted you wished the government could and would force medical procedures on the public. You’ve lost all credibility.

        • Lost credibilty? In the yes of an anti vaxxer who defends a neo nazi? I’m glad I have no credibility in your eyes.

        • Not defending anyone. Just pointing out the obvious. You’re too stupid to understand your own hypocrisy. Don’t forget you’re the poster who said you hoped the government would go door to door forcing pharmaceutical products on families. And you call me a nazi defender? Lol, you’re a special kind of idiot.

        • pg2. First you’re flat up lying. Which I expect from a neo nazi wannabe. I never said the .gov should force vaccines on anyone. But you. Just you.

          You’re such a glaring assh#le that I figured that was a good fit for you.

        • @jwm The guy who claims I have posted several things which I haven’t accuses me of lying…..again , you’re a special kind of idiot. Are you able to keep gainful employment with your sub 80 IQ?

        • Able to run rings around you. Must make you a sub 60. Why did you jump into a thread attacking me except to defend your soul mate jean claude?

        • The only thing you’re capable of running rings around is a tree stump. Hilarious how you pretend your posts are relevant.

        • REtard declares himself the winner and believes it so. Wow. Just wow.

          You’re giving anti vaxxers and flat earthers and your neo nazi buddies a bad name. Who would have thought that possible?

        • Jwm, again, you’re a special kind of idiot. And one that uses all the lefty favorites…..accusing people you disagree with as being racist-with absolutely no proof or evidence……outright lying and accusing others you disagree with using lots and lots of logical fallacy instead of real facts or data…..and literally on your knees cheerleading big government while whining about your gun rights(abortion rights)….you’re a joke.

        • I get it pg2. I really do. I hurt your butt buddies feelz and you lash out at me. Wanting to scratch my eyes out. You’re a loyal girl friend. Props for that. But you need to find a better man to chase after.

    • Wrong. It’s 51% of SOLVED murders. Chicago PD has homicide clearance rate of 8.6% so far in 2019 for example. Who would you guess committed the majority of that 90% that is left unsolved?

    • Black on black gang violence is a direct result of America’s failed drug war mixed with the intentional herding of poor black American’s into inner-city project housing in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, welfare programs specifically designed to destroy the black family and trap them in an endless cycle of dependance and poverty, and a failed government education (indoctrination) system. Every single one of those programs was designed by white politicians. Some had good intentions and didn’t realize that everything the government touches turns to garbage while others knew exactly the result their programs would have on black Americans. The overwhelming majority (per-capita) of gun violence is committed by black Americans against other black Americans, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it is a “black problem”. The destruction of the black community and the black family wasn’t an accident and it isn’t inherently a “black problem”.

      If the Socialist movement in America continues to take root we’ll all live like those in the projects soon enough. At least then people won’t be able to pretend it’s just a “black problem.” The state wants you thinking it’s a “them” thing and “us” is over here and we’re not a part of it. It’s all just “them”. Wake up, man. The State wants us distracted and divided and fighting each other so we aren’t fighting the State and you are falling for it. You saying it’s “a black problem” is them winning. You have no idea who the real enemy is.

      • It’s only a matter of time before the poor ” whites trash” are making their own numbers.

        • There are WAY more “poor white trash”(by the way, pretty racist of you) than poor black people in America.

          Yet, the trailer park is never as dangerous as the ghetto.

          You lose.

          Pathetic.

      • Is that why everyplace black people are, they are overrepresented in crime statistics?

        Canada’s prisons have a disproportionate number of blacks. England’s prisons are filled wth blacks. France, too.

        And then there’s the general shitshow which are the entirety of Africa and the Caribbean.

        But keep reaching for excuses.

      • “intentional herding of poor black American’s into inner-city project housing in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s”

        There was no intentional herding on the part of the government or evil Caucasians. Blacks left areas with no opportunity for cities with jobs. Plenty of whites did too. When the jobs dried up they were all left there and having a large number of people in a small space required warehouse style housing.

        Some stayed and some left. Moving on was the better option.

      • “Black on black gang violence is a direct result of America’s failed drug war mixed with the intentional herding of poor black American’s into inner-city project housing in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s, welfare programs specifically designed to destroy the black family and trap them in an endless cycle of dependance and poverty, and a failed government education (indoctrination) system.”

        You are correct, but welfare was the major original driving force, and it didn’t start until the 1960’s. Between the end of WWII and the 1960’s IQ, education, professionals entering the workforce, new businesses being started, and home ownership was increasing faster among black Americans than any other demographic group.

        All we have to do to get back to that is end all of the government social welfare programs and restore the free market.

  4. I’m more concerned with medical malpractice which kills way more than people using firearms. We need sensible doctor control and to hold all murderous doctors accountable when they murder innocent patients!

  5. No such thing as ‘GUN VIOLENCE’.

    There is only criminal violence.

    It is a meaningless term like ‘Climate Change’.

  6. Murders I’m against, and they seem to be going down, over all.

    “Gun Violence” to stop murders I’m actually kinda for, if that’s the last option. So more of that — happened when it was the last choice — better.

    I’d be happy if we had less “gun violence” stopping murders in progress, but the place to do that is up-stream, before the murderin gets started.

  7. I have nothing against people getting shot as long as it’s the right kind of people like wanna-be rapists and murderers.

  8. I realize not everybody is a fan of Col. Grossman, but he made an interesting comment in an interview I saw last year.

    He suggested that the main reason homicide rates are decreasing is because medical care, and in particular, emergency medical care, has improved so much.

    Which really makes you think about it. If just as many people are shot, but fewer die thanks to better medical care, then fewer are homicides.

    What makes this all the more troubling is the fact stated in this article that non-fatal firearm injury statistics are so unreliable.

    • All violent crime is substantially lower than 25 years ago. That would include attempted murder, ADW, aggravated battery etc.

      • Ok. But it doesn’t invalidate Grossman’s theory. Medical care has improved and these days nearly everyone shot with a pistol caliber survives unless they take multiple hits or don’t get medical care. Twenty or thirty years ago that wouldn’t have been the same story. And if the victim doesn’t die, it isn’t counted as a homicide.

  9. Let’s hold on 2 our forefathers laws and keep our freedom 2 keep and bare arms while making laws that serve all the people fairly, like choosing what we the people want not what the grovnment wants, they want to spit the people, none smoker, smokers, those that like guns those that don’t, they want to rule over u giving u no chose,by removing your rights. Face it people, they are almost there u got to have car ins.medical, u can’t smoke in public places if u r a smoker, u can’t pray in our schools, u must wear a seatbelt, some of these r good but it should be your choice, it suppose to be your right,its our freedom they want. When they allow GOD to be removed, America is DOOMED.we must keep the right too CHOSE. 😈😲😂😱

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